With A Dad Like Jack
by FireTurnsToAsh
Summary: After spending five years in jail, Jack finally gets out in hope of rekindling his broken relationship with his daughter. Meanwhile Lisa is trying to move on and fix her life, but when the two cross paths, what's to be expected? Rated M for sexual themes
1. Chapter One

**With A Dad Like Jack…**

**Summary: **After spending five years in jail, Jack finally gets out in hope of rekindling his broken relationship with his daughter. Meanwhile Lisa is trying to move on and fix her life, but when the two cross paths, what's to be expected?

**Disclaimer: **I own the idea for this storyline and my own characters, nothing else.

**Chapter One**

* * *

><p><em>13 Years Ago…<em>

"It's Katy's big day. Wave to daddy."

"Hey daddy." Katy giggled as she curled into her mother.

"Somebody's being shy in front of the camera." Jackson teased.

"I think she lost her tongue." Carolyn joked as she playfully tickled her daughter.

"Should I turn off the camera?"

"I think it would be the best option." She stood up, holding onto Katy's hands. Katy let go of Carolyn and pattered over to Jackson.

"Hey there." He smiled. Katy smiled back before yawning.

"I think it's time for bed. She's worn out." Carolyn began to pick up toys that were scattered across the floor.

"Do you want me to take her to bed?" he rested Katy on his hip and played with her tiny hand. He felt her head rest against his arm.

"If you want; I could always do it…"

"It's fine. I can do it." He walked over to his wife. "Want to say goodnight to mom?"

Carolyn bent down in front of her with a warming smile on her face. She pecked Katy on the cheek and stroked her soft, blonde hair.

* * *

><p>"Read me a story." She looked over at Jackson's dark figure in the corner. He peered over his shoulder.<p>

"I've already read you a story." He slid a thin book back into place on the shelf and turned around. Slowly he sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at her. "Aren't you tired?"

She shrugged a little and rolled onto her side. "Will you tuck me in?"

"Of course I will." He pulled the covers up under her chin and tucked them under her body. She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand which was caressing her soft cheek. "Sweet dreams." He pulled away and put her night light on. Then he slowly closed the door and walked back downstairs. He was greeted by the smell of toasted bread.

"Jack, come here for a moment."

He raised an eyebrow and did as he was told. He walked into the kitchen and looked at Carolyn. She was sitting on the counter with a plate with a stack of golden toast on it.

"Midnight snack?" the counter creaked a little as his weight was pressed against it. She looked down at him.

"Is it unlike me to have a midnight snack?" she pushed the plate towards him. He looked down at it.

"As much as I want a piece, I'll have to say no. I'm still on this diet."

"Jackson. If that place wants you to lose a few pounds then it's not a good place to work for."

"It's either lose a few inches or lose my target."

"You'll have to run after people?"

"Possibly." He shrugged and stood up straight. He began to stretch. "Why do you want me in here?"

"I have something… Exciting, to tell you."

He levelled up to her and rested his hands either side of her. "What is it?"

"You know the way we've been trying hard to give Katy a little brother or sister?"

"Mhmm…"

"Well, I'm pregnant."

A smile crossed Jackson's face. "Seriously?" she nodded with a wide grin. "How long have you known?"

"A couple of weeks."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a hug. "Does anyone else know?"

"Just my mom. She went to the doctors with me."

"I would've gone."

"I know, but you were just settling into this new, flashy job of yours and I didn't want you to get into trouble." She played with his collar and fixed his loose tie.

"I think you're more important than any job. Especially when it comes to… This." He paused for a moment and looked at her. "This is amazing." He kissed her lightly and pulled away from her completely. "Finish your toast; I'll have the bed warmed up for you."

She laughed and nodded. "Okay boss."

* * *

><p>Jackson woke up to an empty bed. He squinted as he looked around. The sound of Katy's TV show echoed through the hallway. He got up and got dressed quickly before walking downstairs.<p>

"Kate?" he walked into the living room, but she wasn't there. "Katy?" he walked through the house to see no sign of her. He jogged past the kitchen then backed up again. The back door was open and Katy was playing in the garden. He stormed up to the door and stood on the patio. "Katy. What did I say about playing in the garden when someone wasn't watching?" he crossed his arms and looked at her.

She looked at him. "Not to?"

"So why did you?"

"Mom was here… Then she left." Her voice was timid and quiet.

Jackson nodded and turned a little on his heel. "Come inside. Have you had breakfast?"

"No. Can I have fruit loops?" she stood up and ran inside.

"If you wish."

* * *

><p>He sat in the kitchen with his cereal while reading the paper. Katy stayed in the living room with her toys and the TV. He jumped a little when the phone rang. He got up and answered it.<p>

"Hello?"

"Mr. Rippner?"

"Yes. Who is this?"

"This is Doctor McKay from the hospital. It's about your wife." He sounded serious and tense. It was a little concerning. Jackson picked it up in his voice.

"What happened?"

"Your wife was involved in an accident. It's serious."

Jackson leaned against the wall for support and pinched the bridge of his nose. He could feel tears start to well up in his eyes. "I'll be there as soon as possible." He hung up and walked into the living room. He took in a deep breath and turned off the TV. "Do you want to go on a trip with daddy?" he picked Katy up and got her coat.

"Where to?" she grabbed onto his shirt.

"To see mommy."

* * *

><p>He walked into the reception and walked to the desk. Katy stood by his feet. "I'm here to see my wife. She was in a crash."<p>

"What's her name?" the woman said, looking up at him.

"Carolyn Rippner."

The woman typed something into the computer. "You're going to have to wait a moment."

"Are you being serious? There is no time to wait." He protested.

"I'm sorry sir, but you'll have to."

He slapped the desk and walked a couple of paces backwards. He put his head in his hands and looked down at Katy. He crouched down and held his hand out to her. She walked over slowly and took his hand.

"I need you to be brave okay? Mommy isn't feeling the best and she needs her quiet. Do you think you could do that for me?" she nodded slowly and looked down. "Good girl." He rested his head on hers and closed his eyes.

"Mr. Rippner, I'm Doctor McKay."

Jackson got up and looked at the doctor. "Is everything okay? Will she be okay?"

"At the moment, things aren't looking too good. She has a lot of internal bleeding that we may not be able to stop. But we are trying very hard." He looked down at his clipboard. "We're sorry to tell you, but your wife miscarried also."

Jackson closed his eyes and ran his hand through his hair. "Can my daughter and I see her?"

"It's not the best…"

"Please. Even if it's just for a moment." His eyes were pleading; Jackson was desperate to see her.

The doctor looked down at Jackson and then to Katy. "Fine. Follow me." The doctor turned around and walked down the bright hallway.

* * *

><p>"Your wife doesn't remember much of what happened. All she knows is that she's in a lot of pain." He opened the door and walked inside.<p>

Katy peered around Jackson's legs until he walked in. "Mummy." She ran in and stood at the edge of the bed. Carolyn tried to turn her head but instead winced.

"Katy…" she reached for her hand and looked at Jackson. She smiled lightly. It looked like she was in pain.

He stood beside Katy, picked her up and sat her beside Carolyn. "How're you feeling?" he tried to keep his cool even though he could feel the tears well up in his eyes. He had to be strong for Katy.

She glanced at Katy then looked at him. "Can you take Katy out for a moment? I don't want her to hear."

"Katy, will you please wait outside for a moment?"

Jackson put her down and watched her walk outside.

"Jack, I don't know how long I'm going to last. I feel so bad."

"Don't say that. I can get you private treatment. Your own doctor." He took her cold hand into his.

"No. You'll need the money to look after Katy..."

* * *

><p>Katy ran down the hallway, pulling curtains and looking inside the empty cubicles. She pulled back the last curtain at the end and looked inside. There was a woman sitting with her arm in a sling. She had red hair and looked quite young. She looked over at her and smiled. "Hey there." Her smile was quite happy even though she looked like she was hurt.<p>

"Hi. I'm Katy." She giggled.

"Hi Katy. My name's Lisa." She looked around. "Are you lost?"

"No. My daddy's with my mummy. She was hurt today."

Lisa stayed quiet for a moment as the realisation came to her. "I hope she gets better."

Katy nodded and looked at Jackson when he came up behind her.

"I've been looking for you." He looked at Lisa. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine." She smiled slightly and looked around uncomfortably.

* * *

><p>The sound of the heart monitor flat lining echoed through the hallway and the sound of nurses and doctors running on the tiles made the corridor feel even fuller than what it already was. Jackson looked to see where they were going; Carolyn's room. He picked Katy up and ran up to the door. "I'm sorry sir, you cannot come in."<p>

"But it's my wife… You have to do something."

"We'll try our best."

Katy peered through the narrowing gap in the door as it closed. The last thing she saw of her mother was her lying in the bed with the doctors trying to make her heart beat again.

* * *

><p><em>A week later…<em>

The people filed out of the church, their heads low. Some paid respects to Carolyn by leaving a flower by her coffin and some gave their remorse to Jackson as they left. Jackson raised his head and looked at the girl who was standing by the coffin. He didn't know her, but she looked strangely familiar. He handed Katy over to her grandmother and slowly walked up to her. He tapped her on the shoulder and watched her turn around.

"It's you. The woman from the hospital." He said.

"My name's Lisa. Lisa Reisert. I'm so sorry for your loss." Her voice sounded sincere, and her face looked guilty.

"Thank you. How did you know Carolyn?"

"I didn't. I just felt… guilty."

"Why? Why feel guilty?"

"I feel like this is my fault. I know this is my fault." She looked down.

Jackson felt a wave of confusion hit him. He shook his head. "What are you talking about?"

"Did the hospital not tell you? I was the one who was in the other car."

Jackson zoned out for a moment. He could feel no grief anymore, just anger. "You killed her?" he looked up at her. He could feel something catch in his throat. "Get. Out."

"I'm so-"

"Save your breath. I want you gone." He waved his hand while he walked back to his family. He didn't want anything to do with her; he didn't even want to look at her anymore. Not at this moment anyway. He would eventually take his revenge on her.

* * *

><p><strong>A:N I hope this was more of an adult way of writing, most of my stories come across as teenage to me. I have the second chapter almost finished; it will be set in the present. There will be adult content, but not in detail. <strong>


	2. Chapter Two

**With A Dad Like Jack…**

**Summary: **After spending five years in jail, Jack finally gets out in hope of rekindling his broken relationship with his daughter. Meanwhile Lisa is trying to move on and fix her life, but when the two cross paths, what's to be expected?

**Disclaimer: **I own the idea for this storyline and my own characters, nothing else.

**Chapter Two**

* * *

><p><em>Present Day<em>

Today was going to be the day. The day that Katy would see her dad outside of a prison cell, for the first time in six years. She didn't know how to feel. Nervousness. Anxiety. Words couldn't describe her feelings. She didn't know how to feel. To think, about him. Her father. Could she even consider him to be a father to her? She knew be loved her, and she loves him, but the thought was there and it had been since her grandmother told her that he was getting out on good behaviour a month ago. Since then, everything changed. People who didn't know her well, judged her like Jack. They thought of them as the same person.

Katy couldn't stomach the thought of school today. The name 'Rippner' and the word 'monster' would be circulating the school like a wave of electricity. To make matters worse, news that Lisa Reisert was going to give every grade in the school a talk about safety, now that he was out.

"I admire her bravery," Nana started. Katy slowly looked up from her breakfast to listen, "but to come to your school and rub everything in your face and Jackson's is just... Disrespectful to our family." she complained as she read the note the school sent out.  
>"She's just making sure that what happened to her doesn't happen to someone else."<br>"That may be the case but he was only doing his job, for you and I."  
>"And to avenge mom. I get it. I would've done the same if I had the opportunity. But it still doesn't mean that what dad did was right, or fair."<br>"What's done is done. If I could change the past, I would. Believe me. Your mom and dad would be sitting right there." she pointed to the two empty seats across the breakfast bar. Katy looked at it, picturing her idea of a perfect family.  
>"I know." she got up and left half of her scrambled eggs.<br>"Where are you going?"  
>"School." she ran upstairs to get dressed. Her grandmother walked to the bottom of the stairs.<br>"I thought you wanted the day off?"  
>"Nana, I'm a normal girl, I need a normal life." a few moments later she came back down the stairs, dressed with her school bag over her shoulder. "I'll see you later." she hugged her briefly and walked out the door.<p>

* * *

><p>She walked towards the school. Her head down and her eyes on the floor. Thoughts of her dad kept popping up in her head, like the clown in a jack-in-a-box. "Katy. Hey!" she looked to her left and saw Josh's car, slowly driving alongside her. She could help but smile. She smiled every time he was around her. For the past year, he had been her rock. The one to cheer her up when she felt down. They completed each other. When she told him that Jackson was getting out of prison early, he promised to be by her side every step of the way. In her eyes he was truly amazing.<p>

"Hey. I didn't hear you. Or see you." The car stopped beside her. She opened the door and climbed in. She leaned over to him and kissed his cheek.

"I thought you were taking the day off. I would've gone to your house if you told me you were coming in."

"It's fine. I kind of liked little walk. I got to think about things."

He started driving again. "What did you think about?"

"My dad. Mostly."

"Do you want to talk about it?" he glanced at her with a worried expression.

"It's fine. You probably don't want to hear about it."

"Of course I do. You can tell me anything."

She smiled a little. "I know… Basically I was thinking about all the things he's missed. Because he's missed quite a few important things."

"But seeing him again would be great. And having him living with you would be even better. Didn't you miss him?"

"Of course I did. I missed him every night. Every day. All my birthdays. There was a hole that couldn't be filled by any of my so called friends."

The car pulled into a space across the road from the school. "You shouldn't go to school. Not when you're in this state." He turned to look at her. His face was full of concern and worry. She took one look at him and sighed a little before nodding in agreement.

"Fine. I won't go into school. But I can't go home; I don't want my Nana to see me like this." She ran her fingers through her hair. "I want her to think I'm staying strong."

"Do you want to go back to my apartment?"

"I think it would be the best place."

* * *

><p>Josh's apartment building was old and dull. The brick work was a dirty shade of grey and the windows looked like the paint work was peeling off. He left her out at the front door and handed her the keys. "Go on inside, I'll park the car. Do you remember which one is my apartment?"<p>

"I remember." She smiled a little and closed the car door. She didn't stay to watch him drive off.

Katy sat down on the couch and waited from him to come back up. She looked around the small room, at all the little pictures that he had framed. Some of the two of them and one or two of his mom. Josh and his mom weren't close; they used to be but not now. One of the reasons why she liked Josh was because he understood her. His mom was in jail as well so he knew what she felt.

She jumped when the door opened. Her heart felt like it was thumping against her sternum. Josh walked in and slammed the door shut. "Sorry, the door's sticking." He sat beside her.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" she looked at him.

He turned to her and edged a little closer. "Us."

"What about us?" she had a small and comforting smile on her face. He took one of her hands in his. Their fingers fitted in between each other perfectly.

"We've been together for a while. We both love each other; we trust each other. And I've been thinking that we're ready to take our relationship to the next… Level."

She looked down and contemplated it all. "And you have… Protection?"

"Yes, I've got some in my bedroom."

She nodded and stood up. She held her hand out towards him and waited for him to take it.

* * *

><p>The bed squeaked as his weight came down onto it. She had sat him down and climbed onto his lap. His hand ran up the back of her shirt and pulled her even closer towards him. There was very little space between them. He unbuttoned her shirt and planted soft kisses down her neck and chest. It sent delightful sensations through her skin. She slid the shirt off her shoulders and tilted his head up towards her.<p>

They came together in a passionate and deep kiss. Katy couldn't keep her hands off Josh. Her hands moved quickly down his chest, undoing the buttons from his shirt. She dragged it off him and gazed at his bare chest. She pushed him down and let him roll her onto her back. He wanted to take control.

He ran his legs along her thighs as he spread her legs apart. Her skin felt like silk compared to his hands. Slowly, he entered her and kept his hands on her legs. He watched her as he thrusted slowly. The way she bit her lip turned him on even more than he already was. Their groans filled the silence.

* * *

><p>"Do you regret not going to school?"<p>

She looked up at him and turned onto her side. "A little bit. I mean people will probably start speculating."

"Who cares what people think?"

"I know." She sighed a little. "I just can't help but think about the trouble I'll get when I go back tomorrow."

He moved close to her and wrapped his arms around her tightly. "I'll hold your hand every step of the way." He kissed her temple and looked her in the eyes. "If you need me, just look for me."

She smiled a little and rested her head on his. "Of course."

"I think it's time to get you home." He glanced at the alarm clock beside his bed.

She sat up and stretched. "What time is it?"

"It's almost four. I'm sure your gran must be wondering where you are."

"I'll tell her we ran into traffic or something."

"She'll believe it?"

"Of course she will. I'm very trustworthy." Katy flashed a smile and pulled her jeans up.

* * *

><p>The car stopped outside her house. From the window Katy could see her grandmother moving around the living room. She looked busy. She took off her seatbelt and scrambled out of the car. She looked over at Josh and gestured him to follow. She walked into the house, and stood in the hallway. "Nana?" she called out. There was no answer straight away but a couple of moments later.<p>

"Katy, come into the living room for a moment."

Katy looked at Josh as he walked in. "Something's up." She whispered to him. He gave her a look and followed her into the living room.

* * *

><p><strong>A:N So I thought I'd try and leave a little cliffhanger, hopefully it worked. Anyway, next chapter is almost finished so it'll be uploaded either later today or tomorrow. Hope you enjoyed reading!<strong>


	3. Chapter Three

**With A Dad Like Jack…**

**Summary: **After spending five years in jail, Jack finally gets out in hope of rekindling his broken relationship with his daughter. Meanwhile Lisa is trying to move on and fix her life, but when the two cross paths, what's to be expected?

**Disclaimer: **I own the idea for this storyline and my own characters, nothing else.

**Chapter Three**

* * *

><p>Frozen. Her feet were stuck to the floor; her eyes locked on her father, Jackson. The words that she had been planning to say for so long could find their way out. She was speechless. She could feel Josh's comforting hand on her shoulder.<p>

"Katy. You've grown up, so much." his words came out with a breath. His voice was unfamiliar but strangely familiar at the same time.

She felt a lump in her throat. Like it was something stopping her from what she really wanted to say. She had to hold back her realistic comments for a while, until she knew that he could handle them. But it wasn't the time for her head to speak; it was time for her heart to do the talking.

"I missed you." the words finally came out after an awkward and uncomfortable pause.

A smile came to his face. "I missed you too." he took a couple of slow steps towards her and wrapped his arms around her. Vaguely in the background she could hear her grandmother ask Josh to give them some time. A moment later the front door closed, both Josh and her grandmother gone. Jack took a step back and held her at an arm's length.

"You're not my little girl anymore... You're a woman." he smiled sadly at her and pulled himself away from her. He turned his back and slowly walked towards the kitchen. She watched him. The sadness and guilt radiated from him.

She followed him into the room and watched him dig through the fridge. "This seems so different. I keep thinking that someone's just going to hand me shit on a tray every couple of hours." he grabbed two bananas from the fridge and closed the door. "These," he waved them around a little, "seem like one of the rarest things and this place feels like heaven." he sat at the island counter.

"If you want, I can make you shit on a tray." she smiled a little at him and sat across from him. He looked up at her and smirked.

"I'm fine, thanks." he peeled the banana and glanced at her. "So, who was that guy?"

"Are you really going to do the protective parent thing?"

"Well I think I should try it on to see if it fits."

She stared at him for a while with raised eyebrows. "His name is Josh, he's my boyfriend."

"He looks older than you, how old is he?"

"He's the same age as me." she slid off her stool and walked over to a cupboard. He kept his eyes on her while taking small bites at his banana. He wanted to savour it; it was ten times better than what they served at the county jail.

"How long have you been together?"

"A while." she pulled out a bag of chips and held them out to him. He declined them and ran his fingers through his greasy brown hair.

"You do realize that if he hurts you, I'll put him into a hospital."

Katy took it as a joke and replied, "I'd help you."

* * *

><p>The warm water felt amazing on Jackson's skin. The simplest things, like a warm shower, felt like a luxury to him. In his mind the shower was washing away his broken past and now he had to focus on being a good son, a good father and a better citizen.<p>

He walked through the second floor hallway, drying his hair with the now damp towel when he heard a thud from downstairs. He was the only one home. His extinct kicked in.

* * *

><p>He jogged quietly into his bedroom and felt under the wardrobe until he found what he was looking for. His favourite weapon; a K-bar, was still where he left it, taped to the bottom of the wardrobe. He pushed himself off the floor quickly and glided down the stairs, keeping his back hugged to the wall.<p>

* * *

><p>All the lights downstairs were switched off. If there was an intruder in the house, it was most likely a burglar who saw the lights of and thought that they hit the jackpot.<p>

He had checked every room downstairs except the kitchen. He tiptoed in and flicked on the light switch. There was no-one there.

"Jackson." his mom called. He quickly walked to the other side of the counter to see her lying on the floor, the brown paper bag that she was carrying ripped and tins all over the floor.

"Mom, are you okay?" he put the knife on the counter and helped her up.

"I'll be fine. What's with the knife? I thought we agreed no more funny business."

"I thought someone was breaking into the house. Would you rather have me dead?"

"Do I have to answer that?" she groaned a little in pain as she tried to straighten up. "Can you take me to my bedroom please?"

"Of course." he slowly led her up the stairs and sat her on her bed. "I'll clean the mess downstairs. You go to sleep."

"Thank you Jackson." She smiled weakly and slipped under the covers.

Jackson smiled a little and closed the door.

* * *

><p>Katy sat at the back of Josh's car. She just sat there, staring out the window. Josh was in the shop at the gas station. He was taking his time.<p>

Before she knew it, the car was moving, the radio was playing and one of Josh's friends was in the front seat.

"What's your dad like?" Dylan turned in his seat and stared at her with a wide and mischievous grin. The sight of him made her blood boil.

"He's the same as I remember him. Kind. Considerate. A good dad."

"Minus the fact that he tried to blow up a guy and his family… And then tried to kill a woman."

Josh looked at Dylan. He looked slightly annoyed, but not as annoyed as Katy. She had a good poker face.

"Whatever you might thing, you're wrong. He was doing his job. That's all. He's sorry for what he did. He did time for it and reformed. So you can choke on your comments now." She looked back out the window.

"Whatever man," he turned back around in his seat, "the guy is still a total whack job."

Katy glared at the back of his head.

"Dude, quit it. This isn't pick on Jack day." Josh complained. "Keep it up and I'll dump your ass on the sidewalk and drive away."

* * *

><p>When Dylan left, Katy took her seat back. She waited for Josh to walk back from his house. She kept her head in her hands and tried to cool off. She was so angry that she could feel tears sting in her eyes. Josh's door slammed shut. It shook the car. Katy sat up and glanced at him.<p>

"I'm sorry about him. He's a jerk, I don't know why I hang out with him." He looked at her just as she wiped away a stray tear. She felt Josh's embrace. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine."

"Tell me if he offended you." He pulled away and looked at her. His expression was serious and a little angry.

"He did… A little but, I have to get used to it. People probably have the same opinion that Dylan does."

"It doesn't mean he can just… Say it." He started the car. "I mean, if someone said that about my mom, I'd hit them, hard."

* * *

><p>Katy waved at Josh as he drove away then walked into the house. She thought everyone was asleep, but they weren't. The sound of the TV was faint in the hallway, but she could still hear it. She walked into the kitchen and turned on the light. She could smell butter. The smell made her feel hungry.<p>

"Katy?" Jack called out. She looked over in his direction.

"Yeah..?"

"Did you have a good time?"

She walked into the living room and sat beside him.

"Yeah, kind of."

He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

"Nothing happened, dad."

"Your body language suggests that you're uncomfortable. Your hands are clasped, you're not being open and you can't look me in the eye. So let's rewind and change your answer."

She looked at him. "So you have to be so… You?"

"Yes. In this situation, yes."

She rolled her eyes. "One of Josh's friends were dissing you, I wasn't happy with it. There you go."

"I'm sure it wasn't _that_ bad."

"He said you were a whack job."

"I've been called worse. Sometimes you have to suck up what life gives you, and make it better."

She looked at him again, a little bit of shock was on her face. "When did you become so motivational?"

"I've always been like this." He looked over at a plate that was beside him. "I made toast, and I don't think I'll finish it." He held a piece out towards her.

She looked at it and took it.

"Your mother and I used to do this every night. After we put you to bed, we'd sit up, make toast and watch crappy TV movies." He smiled as he remembered the memories.

Katy looked at him from the corner of her eye and rested her head on him. He put his arm around her shoulder and held her.

"We can watch crappy TV together."

* * *

><p><strong>A:N <strong>Sorry for the wait but I finally updated. I hope the sickly sweet ending didn't kill you all. Hope you enjoyed reading.


	4. Chapter Four

**With A Dad Like Jack… **

**Summary: **After spending five years in jail, Jack finally gets out in hope of rekindling his broken relationship with his daughter. Meanwhile Lisa is trying to move on and fix her life, but when the two cross paths, what's to be expected?

**Disclaimer: **I own the idea for this storyline and my own characters, nothing else.

**Chapter Four**

* * *

><p>Katy woke up on the sofa. Her back was aching. She sat up and stretched it out. Around her legs was a blanket. She must've fallen asleep on Jack. She looked at the time. She had an hour to get ready for school.<p>

The floor boards in her room creaked under her weight as she got ready. The sun was shining through her window, and it was warm. She knew that she would evaporate in school. She wasn't looking forward to today; Lisa Reisert was coming into school. Unless her grandmother told him, Jackson was blissfully unaware.

She tied up her hair and dropped off the last two steps. Jack was standing at the bottom of the staircase, staring up at her. "Morning." He greeted.

"Hey. Did I fall asleep on you?"

"Yes, right in the middle of the movie."

She chewed on her lip a little and smiled. "Sorry about that."

"It's fine. I didn't mind… Do you have a ride to school?"

"Uhm, no. Do you want to take me?" she looked at herself in the mirror and brushed her curled ponytail.

"Yes… If you don't mind."

"As long as you don't blast music while your window is down, I won't have a problem." She smiled at him and threw the car keys at him. "Come on then."

* * *

><p>Jackson kept a pair of sunglasses on. He was conscious. He didn't want anyone to recognise him. Anything could've happened if they did. Since getting out of jail, this was the first time he had been away from the comfort and safety of his home He still knew the streets like the back of his hand. He knew where every drug dealer did business and where every hot dog guy tried to make a living. It was one of the things that he never forgot.<p>

He parked near the front of the school, just over halfway through the car park. "Thanks for the ride." Katy slid out of the jeep. "Do you want me to pick you up after school?"

His face lit up a bit. "Yeah, I'd love to."

Katy glanced around. "School ends at half three. Wait for me outside the gates."

He nodded. "I can do that."

"Great." She started to close the door. "Laters."

"I lo-" the door closed before he could finish his sentence. She started to walk away. He watched her until she was safely in the arms of Josh. Once he was happy that she was safe, he drove away.

* * *

><p>"Your dad was watching us." He took her hand and walked towards the entrance.<p>

"He was just making sure I would be okay."

"But you're at school, nothing will happen."

"Well you know, dad knows best and all that." She shrugged a little.

He looked down at her. "We need to get him to relax."

Katy laughed a little. "You're talking about the ex-manger of an assassination company. I don't think you'll get him to relax." She said quietly, she didn't want someone to hear her.

"If he took all his worry off you and took his mind off unlikely scenarios, then it will be a win-win situation."

"And what were you thinking of doing? Sending him on a whirlwind holiday?"

"No… I have a friend… Well she's my aunt. She is the same age as him, roughly. There's only two years between them. We could set them up on a date."

"And why do you think this will work?"

"Because she knows what it's like to be judged, being my mom's sister and all."

"If they're both willing, then I don't see a problem with it."

"I'll get it set up; all you have to do is get your dad to agree with it."

* * *

><p>The assembly hall was full of people. Lisa could feel her stomach do flips. She hadn't spoken to this many people before. Just by her hairline, sweat began to form, her throat became drier and her heart rate had increased. "Cynthia, I'm so nervous." She rested her head on her best friend's shoulder.<p>

"You'll be fine. Just imagine everyone is in their underwear."

Lisa laughed a little. "I don't think I want to imagine a hall full of almost naked teenagers."

"I forgot this was a school. Anyway, you'll do great. You always do."

The school principal edged passed her and slipped through the curtain. He began to introduce her. Cynthia pulled away from her. "I'll be in the first row. Good luck."

"Thanks, I'll need it." She watched Cynthia disappear through a set of double doors.

"Please be on your best behaviour and give your full attention to Miss Lisa Reisert."

* * *

><p>Katy watched Lisa emerge from behind the dark blue curtains. People gave her a round of applause, but Katy wasn't so eager to welcome her. After all, she did take her mother away from her.<p>

For just under half an hour, Katy forced herself to stay awake and listen to the small insults that Lisa would aim at Jackson. Katy leaned over to Josh and whispered in his ear. "I wonder if she realises that Jack's daughter is in attendance."

"Probably… Maybe she's just looking for a reaction."

"I'm going to talk to her, at the end. You know, drop in the fact that she murdered my mom and got away with only a suspended license."

Josh looked at her. He was slightly shocked that Katy could be so harsh. It wasn't the same girl that he knew. He kind of liked this side of her. "You do know that what happened was only an accident."

"And if she had've been paying full attention to the road, the accident wouldn't have happened, my dad wouldn't have wanted revenge on her and I would've grew up with both of my parents in my life." Katy turned away from him and stared at the stage.

"Don't be mad at me, I was trying to look things from two angles."

"Next time, don't bother."

* * *

><p>At the end of the presentation Lisa stayed by the stage. "How did I do?" she said with a grin on her face. She still seemed nervous, but Lisa was still feeling the adrenaline rush.<p>

"You did well, like I told you." Cynthia smiled at her. "Well done."

"I feel like I could do it again." Lisa looked over at two pupils that were approaching her.

"Can I ask you some questions?" Katy asked.

"Of course."

"How can you walk onto the stage and talk about people being monsters, when you killed a woman in a crash." Her eyes were cold; she had a ruthless sense of aggression.

Lisa was in shock. She didn't know how someone would know about the crash. She didn't tell many people, she kept it to herself. Her dirty little secret.

"Katy, just leave it okay?" Josh said lowly from behind her.

"How do you know about the car accident?"

Josh tugged on Katy's arm but she ignored him. "Because she was my mom. Do you not remember talking to me in the hospital?"

"I didn't know it was you… What's your name?"

"I'm Katy. You'll know my dad very well." Her voice was sarcastic and as cold as her eyes.

"Who is your dad?" Lisa could feel something… Something that indicated danger, anxiety and something strange. Like something wasn't right.

"Well… You liked to call him Jack."

* * *

><p>Jack sat on the bonnet of his parked car. He took a small pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. Smoking was something that he took up while in prison. Friends would hand him a cigarette and sit around a table with him. It was one of the few pleasures that a criminal could enjoy.<p>

"Who does she think she is? Walking up to you like that." Jack listened to a woman ramble from the other side of the fence. "Teenager or not, I would've hit her. And to be related to him, it just makes everything crazy."

"Leave it Cynthia. It didn't bother me."

Jackson got off the car at the sound of Lisa's voice. He could feel some sort of hatred well up inside his heart. It was something about her that made him tick.

"She still had no right." Cynthia's voice was as annoying as he remembered. He couldn't stand to listen to her during the trial. He dreamed of chocking her in her sleep many times when he spent sleepless nights inside his cell.

They came around the corner, angry looks covered their faces. Jackson watched them, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Oh my… Lisa, look." Cynthia whispered.

Lisa looked at Cynthia and then to Jackson. Her jaw dropped as the unpleasant memories came back like a bad taste in her mouth.

"What are you…? Why?" her chest started heaving, like she was taking a panic attack.

Jackson felt a smirk cross his mouth. He was happy that he had this effect on her. "Calm down, I'm not here for," he looked her up and down and pulled a disgusted face, "You." He stood up straight. "I've wasted too many years on you." His eyes glanced towards the school. "I'm here to do what any normal dad does."

"You're not normal though. You're a-"

"Don't even say it Lisa."

The way he said her name sent chills down her spine. She shivered, and she didn't care if he noticed.

"It's the truth."

"Well I'm here for my daughter. Not you."

"She made a lasting impression." Lisa crossed her arms.

Jack raised his eyebrows. "You met her?"

"Yeah. It's not like I wanted to. I want nothing to do with you, or her. Or any other Rippner's there are."

"No, you did a good job killing two of them." He said lowly. He was upset, it was apparent in his voice.

"There was only one in the car." Lisa whispered. She knew the possibility, she could believe it, but she didn't want to.

"She was pregnant Lisa; you killed my wife, and my child. Not only that, but a little bit of me died that day too." He shook his head slowly and looked at her straight in the eyes. "If anyone's the monster, it's you I don't kill, I can… But I haven't. I only make the call, the plot. I do the preparation. There's always someone else at the end of the gun. You're the only one I've tried to kill personally."

"But it was an accident." Tears started to sting in her eyes. Her vision was blurred. Everything Katy said… Everything Jack said was true.

"Come on Lisa, we should go." Cynthia put her arm around her back. Jackson's eyes were stitched onto her, he couldn't break his glare. He did once he felt someone hold onto him.

He wrapped his arms around her and looked down at her.

"What's wrong?" he said to her.

"I didn't think you would be here." Katy looked up at him.

He rested his head, face down on her brown hair. "Of course I would. You can't get rid of me that easily."

They were so peaceful, just standing there. In Jack's arms Katy felt safe; in Katy's, he felt like he was at home.

* * *

><p><strong>A:N Hope you enjoyed the confrontations. And the little cheesy bit at the end. Sorry for the wait, I took a lazy week or two and couldn't be bothered to update, but here it is. Thank you for reading.<strong>


	5. Chapter Five

**With A Dad Like Jack… **

**Summary: **After spending five years in jail, Jack finally gets out in hope of rekindling his broken relationship with his daughter. Meanwhile Lisa is trying to move on and fix her life, but when the two cross paths, what's to be expected?

**Disclaimer: **I own the idea for this storyline and my own characters, nothing else.

**Chapter Five**

* * *

><p>The silence was screaming at her. Katy was left in her bedroom with her thoughts as her only friend. In her head she knew that she had treated her one for of support wrongly; it had filled her heart with regret.<p>

She was going to go stir crazy if she stayed secluded in her room. Plus she was itching to see Josh and apologise. She knew she had done him wrong.

* * *

><p>"That's what's wrong with you Kate. You let those who are closest to you slip away." Her grandmother just looked at her with a stern expression.<p>

"I know." She sighed and rubbed her face. "Am I allowed to go to his house? To sort it out." Her eyes showed exactly how she was feeling. Desperate.

"As long as you're back before ten, then I don't see a problem."

She threw her arms around the elderly woman. "Thank you. " Katy grabbed her set of keys and bolted to the car.

* * *

><p>Jack stared down at the almost empty glass of whiskey. He finished it off in one gulp. It had been a while since he had enjoyed a drink at a bar. Well, it had been a while since he had a drink.<p>

Memories filled his head. Some were good' most were bad. The memory that stood out the most was one from jail, his first night after the hospital gave him the all clear.

He could still smell his cell. Stale concrete and mould. It wasn't the most appealing smell, but it made its mark on Jackson.

* * *

><p>Jack had arrived at the prison just before dinner was dished out in the bland, unfriendly canteen. From the balcony, you could see a sea of orange. It was alive and noisy. He was escorted by a guard to the middle of the hall.<p>

"Look out, fresh meat coming through." Someone called out from the crowd.

The crowd parted like the Red Sea. He was shoved into the line by the guard, and then was left to fight for himself.

He slammed his tray of shit onto an empty table. He tried to keep his back to most of the inmates. Jack didn't want to look at those staring faces while he was having his 'meal'.

As he picked through his food, a tall man with a gang approached him.

"Yo', fresh meat. You're in my seat."

Jack glanced over his shoulder. "I will be done in a minute."

"I suggest you move." The guy's voice became quieter and deeper. Like he was threatening him. He was threatening him. Jack felt a knife dig into his back.

He stared at the wall. "And I suggest you wait." He stood up and stared at the leader of the pack with cold, hard eyes. Usually it made people walk away, or stop talking; but this time it didn't.

The thug laughed in his face. "You have a lot to learn son." The knife cut into Jackson's skin, drawing blood.

He groaned in pain and grabbed onto his attacker's arm as he drove it further into his side. "Move when you're told, and next time we won't have a problem."

As the guards came, the gang fled. Jack was left to bleed out of the floor. He passed out from the pain. The blackness was the last thing he could remember of that night.

* * *

><p>"Can I get you another drink?"<p>

His memory recall was broken by the attractive bar maid. Her white smile and blonde waves made him realise that he wasn't day dreaming anymore.

"Uhm. Yeah." He handed the glass back to her.

"So are you new around here? I would remember a face like yours." She looked at him as she poured out another whiskey.

He smiled a little. "You could say that I was new here."

* * *

><p>Katy stood outside his door. She dared herself to knock the door, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.<p>

When the courage finally came to her, she had to keep herself from running away. Josh opened the door and looked down at her. "What do you want Katy?" she could tell by his voice that he was upset.

"I came to apologise. I shouldn't have treated you so badly. You were… Only looking out for me."

"It's fine. I get it." He sighed slightly.

"Get, what?"

"That you're angry and that I'm the sucker that gets it." He backed away from the door. "I guess I'll be your punching bag for as long as it takes." He waved her in and sat on the couch.

Katy couldn't hold back her smirk. She liked the soft, caring side of Josh. Well, she thought it was his caring side.

* * *

><p>They sat in awkward silence for a moment. She had no idea what to say to him. Katy didn't even expect to get through the front door.<p>

"How did you get home?"

The sound of his voice scared her a little. She wasn't expecting him to make the first move.

"Uhm… Jack took me home." She nodded a little but didn't dare herself to look at him. When she finally could, he was already looking at her.

"Did he see Lisa?"

"I think so."

"Oh… Did he freak?"

She shrugged and rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands.

"You weren't there?" he raised his eyebrows.

"Nope. If they did see each other, he was waiting on me for a while. Which he probably did."

"Do you wish you had've been there?"

"Honestly," she thought for a moment, "yes. Whatever they were talking about made Jack upset. I want to know what it was."

"Was he crying?" Josh sounded excited. Something about Katy's dad and his business made him like a crazed fan.

"Are we going to talk about Jack all night?" she had a small smile on her face. It was to hide her anxiety. She could sense that something wasn't right, but she couldn't place her finger on it.

"No… Of course not." His smile was charming, his attitude changed in a split second. He leaned towards her and spoke in a hushed tone. "We'll talk about whatever you want to talk about."

The mood changed within the room. He had changed it. She didn't realise that he was manipulating her.

She gazed into his deep green eyes. "Who needs words?"

Katy closed her eyes as Josh leaned in, edging closer and closer towards her. Their lips finally touched. What started as a sweet, tender kiss turned into a passion filled lip lock.

* * *

><p>"So I was jogging along the pavement and I noticed that the bar was looking for new bar staff and I thought that I would try it. I mean it seems interesting, I get to work at night which means I have the day free and I get to meet new people."<p>

Jack grinned cheekily. "Like me?" he leaned back in his chair. There was a boyish charm coming from him. The old Jackson charm hadn't left him.

The corners of her mouth tried to smile, but she wanted to keep it hidden. Instead she bit her lip and shifted in the chair opposite him. "Yes, like you."

"And you left your office job, for this?"

"Yeah and you know what? I don't regret it." She said proudly.

"Not even a little bit?" Jack screwed his face up a tad and made a gesture with his fingers.

"Not one, tiny bit."

"Wow. Well, I respect your charisma."

"Thank you." She tried to pull a serious face.

"No problem." His reply came almost instantly after hers. "It's not a problem." He said after a short pause.

"So, what about you mister mystery? What's your life story?"

Jack watched her swirl the small amount of liquor left in the glass. The almost melted ice clinked against the short and chubby glass.

"Well, it's got a little bit of everything. It's like a well-seasoned meal. You've got your romance, your drama. A little bit of tragedy to pull on your heart strings. And to top it all off, you have a drizzle of suspense."

Her laugh gave him the chills that sent pleasant shivers down his backbone.

"Sounds like a delicious meal."

"It's all right I guess." He shrugged as he tried to be modest and play the cool, sophisticated stranger.

The blonde bar maid glanced at her watch and started to get up. "I'm sorry, but my break's over. It was nice talking to you."

"Uh, yeah it was great meeting you. I don't want to sound weird or desperate or anything… but what's your name?"

She smiled and collected their glasses.

"My name is Dawn. Dawn Franks."

* * *

><p>Josh kept his arm firmly around Katy as she slept in his bed, beside him. She looked peaceful and restless. When she rolled away from him and snuggled into the bed sheets, he closed the bedside table drawer.<p>

Inside the drawer was something strange. Beside the condoms that he had stashed away, was a safety pin. Something that a normal teenage boy wouldn't keep in his drawers.

But Josh wasn't a normal teenage boy.

* * *

><p><strong>A:N I hope you get what I'm hinting at. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and Jackson's little memory thing. Thank you for reading! Just want to reference you to my other red eye fanfic that I'm trialling called 'The Best Man'. Take a look please.<strong>


	6. Chapter Six

**With A Dad Like Jack… **

**Summary: **After spending five years in jail, Jack finally gets out in hope of rekindling his broken relationship with his daughter. Meanwhile Lisa is trying to move on and fix her life, but when the two cross paths, what's to be expected?

**Disclaimer: **I own the idea for this storyline and my own characters, nothing else.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

The sun shone brightly through the window. It was so warm that it could've split trees. Katy had spent the night at Josh's, even though she had a curfew.

"Josh, why did you let me sleep?" she felt around the empty space beside her. "Josh?" she called out as she sat up. The floor was cold on her bare feet. She stood up straight and grabbed her clothes, putting them on quickly.

Her footsteps were quiet as she walked into the kitchen. Josh was standing there, headphones in his ears Katy rolled her eyes and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and smiled a little. He took the small black buds out of his ears.

"Hi." He sat on the counter.

"Why didn't you wake me up? My grandmother and my dad, you know the trained killer, are going to freak out."

He held up his hands. "Listen, I called your grandma last night, told her you were throwing up and stuff. I told her I would let you take my bed and if you were well enough I'd take you home."

"And she bought it?" Katy smirked and played with the ends of her hair.

"Yeah. You know how persuasive I can be." He beamed.

"I know. I think I should call her, just to let her know that I'm okay."

"Sure, do whatever." He leaped off the counter and walked towards his bedroom.

* * *

><p>Katy took out her phone and dialled her house number. She had to call twice before her grandmother picked up the phone.<p>

"Hello?" she sounded a little out of breath.

"Hey gran, it's only me."

"Oh Katy… How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling much better. Are you okay? You sound tired." Katy was a little worried. Her gran was quite old.

"I had to run for the phone. I was doing a bit of gardening when I heard it ringing."

"I thought dad would've answered it."

"Well, he didn't come home either."

At that moment, every thought ran through her head. Had someone mugged him? Maybe an old enemy? Perhaps his boss was making him kill again. She started to really worry for him.

* * *

><p>Jack let a tired groan escape as he stretched. He wasn't in his bed at home. The bed felt unfamiliar. He looked beside him to see a head of blonde hair.<p>

He had two options, one was to ditch the woman named Dawn and avoid the awkward 'good morning'. Or he could stay like any good guy should.

* * *

><p>Dawn rolled over and felt around the bed. The space beside her was empty. She sighed and rolled out of bed. "You really know how to pick 'em." She mumbled to herself as she pulled a pair of jogging bottoms over her bronze legs.<p>

A strange smell greeted her as she walked from the bathroom into the hallway. It was like a greasy smell. She opened the kitchen door and looked in.

"Bet you thought that I left." He glanced at her over his shoulder.

"Yeah, actually." She crossed her arms and walked behind him. "Are you making breakfast?" she raised an eyebrow at him,.

"Well it's my way of saying thanks for… Taking care of me so well." He turned a couple of dials on the stove and pushed two pieces of bacon onto a plate, completing his idea of a good breakfast.

"Only one plate?"

"I can't stay. I have to get home, let my daughter know that I'm alive." He smiled for a brief moment.

She nodded slowly and set the warm plate on the counter. "Will I see you again?"

He looked down at her big, hazel eyes. "Your choice. My number is on your fridge." He began to back up towards the door. "See you around."

* * *

><p>Josh watched Katy pace around the room in confusion. All he could hear was her end of the conversation. It was something about her dad.<p>

"My dad didn't come home last night, something happened 'cause this isn't like him" her panicked expression spoke her thoughts.

He sighed a little bit and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Your dad is all grown up. He's fine."

"Josh, there are people out there who would love to get their murderous hands on him." She glared at him with her arms folded across her chest.

"Listen, he's probably out enjoying his freedom."

"I don't care. I'm going to go home and wait for him." She dashed for the door.

"Love you." He called out to her.

"Yeah, you too."

* * *

><p>When Jack finally got home, Katy was waiting for him. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "How long have you been waiting?"<p>

"An hour." She snapped. "Where were you?"

Jackson laughed to himself. "Don't you think you're being a little hypocritical?" Jack walked past her and settled in the kitchen. She followed him, staying a couple of steps behind him.

"No…"

"I called last night to tell you I wouldn't be home. Your grandmother said you were at your boyfriend's house. So I thought to myself that if you can stay out when you're not supposed to, then I can." Jack stared into the fridge. He could feel tension in the air.

"I'm not a moving target."

"And I'm not the child of the family. I'm the adult."

He looked over at her. Katy's body language was closed; she was staring down at the ground. He had offended her.

"Listen, it's nice that you cared enough to worry, but nothing will happen to me."

"How do you know that?" she glanced up at him.

He swept his jacket to the side and flashed his infamous K-bar. "I always carry protection."

* * *

><p><strong>A:N I finally got this finished, so I hope it was worth the wait Thanks for reading. <strong>


	7. Chapter Seven

**With A Dad Like Jack…**

**Summary: **After spending five years in jail, Jack finally gets out in hope of rekindling his broken relationship with his daughter. Meanwhile Lisa is trying to move on and fix her life, but when the two cross paths, what's to be expected?

**Disclaimer: **I own the idea for this storyline and my own characters, nothing else.

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

><p>"What the hell is wrong with you?" Katy stared at him in disgust. The shiny, metallic blade stared at her.<p>

"What do you mean?" Jackson was confused. Isn't this what she wanted? To know that he was safe?

"Okay, tell me this. If you got pulled over by the police for… I don't know, speeding. And they had to search you, and they found that, what do you think would happen?" Jack tried to speak, but she wouldn't let him. "I'll tell you what would happen. You probably end up branded as a monster, an even bigger monster than you already have been called. If that's possible. People would speculate about you. You would get fines. People might even try to pin recent deaths on you."

"Right, Katy. I get it." He pinched the bridge of his nose and turned to leave.

"Where do you think you're going? I'm not done talking to you."

"Don't talk to me like that. I'm your father and don't you forget it." He looked over his shoulder at her, his eyes colder than usual, and his voice sinister.

Katy knew that she had triggered something and she suddenly became scared. She couldn't help but stare at him.

"You are a monster." She whispered.

She ran to the back door, Jackson ran after her.

"Katy, Katy. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, be like that." When he got to the door, she was fumbling with the keys. "Please don't run away from me." As he held onto her arm, she dropped the keys onto the floor.

"Don't touch me." She escaped from his grip and picked up the keys.

"You know me, you know that I wouldn't hurt you." He tried to plea with her, but she wouldn't take it.

"And I know that there is a side of you, that would just love to stick that K-bar of yours into my back and tear the flesh." She turned to look at him. Her eyes were sad, scared and confused. She was starting to cry.

"No. Never." He shook his head.

"I can't keep living in this house, while that," she pointed to his hip, "is still here. So either get rid of it, or get rid of me. Your choice." She walked past him. "By the way, you have a date tonight. I suggest you go."

"You really expect me to go, after what's just happened?"

"Jack. Go." She turned around and looked at him with a hard stare. She wasn't asking him to go, she was telling him.

* * *

><p>He sat in his bedroom, listening to the sound of Katy backing out of the driveway. The gravel crunched under the rubber tyres. Jack got up and opened his wardrobe. His hand pressed against the back of it, looking for the tiny button. It was his secret hiding place, where he kept all his weapons. Surprisingly, Katy's mom wasn't a fan of knives either.<p>

Once he pressed it, the back became loose and was able to be pushed back. Behind the wooden panel were grooves in the wall, grooves that were the shapes of all his weapons. And there was one groove empty; the K-bar groove. He pulled the knife out of his holster and placed it back inside hastily. Was this really a good idea? What if he did need the protection?

Jackson couldn't ponder about his choices for too long, he had to keep Katy happy and go on this stupid date. All he was told was the place, and the time. He didn't even know what this girl looked like, or if it really was a girl. He got his best shirt on and accompanied it with a pair of navy trousers. He looked at himself in the mirror and gave himself a reassuring smile. "You can do this. It's just a date. Not marriage."

* * *

><p>He sat in the small bistro, looking around anxiously. He didn't really want to go on this blind date, but he didn't want to be stood up either. Maybe she got scared off because, well he used to be a monster. Jack glanced at everyone, some were staring and some didn't even acknowledge his existence. He sighed and stood up. He watched the door for a moment, just to see if she had arrived yet. When he knew that she hadn't, he quickly walked into the men's room and sat in a cubicle.<p>

"What am I even doing here? I'm too old for this crap." He stared at himself in the mirror. He washed the newly formed sweat off his hands and dried them with hard movements that dug into his skin. His hands were red, mostly because he had waited until the water was scolding hot. It was his thing, it settled him. In jail the water was always cold; the scolding hot water was another luxury he loved having.

* * *

><p>In the back of Jack's mind, he believed he was going to be stood up. The few minutes that he had to wait felt like hours that kept dragging on, and on. His nerves had finally begun to sink in. He believed that he wasn't ready for a serious relationship, or a date. And that's when a waiter approached him.<p>

"Sir," Jackson looked up at the small, bald man, "your guest has arrived."

Jackson stood up and looked over his shoulder, towards the entrance. There she was, the woman that he had met only a few nights ago. It was Dawn.

"Well, well, well. When my nephew said he had a date lined up, I didn't expect it to be you." She kissed him lightly on the cheek and squeezed his bicep briefly.

"You look good." He pulled her chair out for her and pushed it in once she sat down. "Very good."

"You don't look too bad yourself." She smiled. Dawn picked up her menu and flicked through it. "I didn't think that you'd be into the whole… Blind dating scene."

"My daughter set me up. I didn't expect you to be looking for a date after last night." Jack watched her, intrigued by her. He could tell that she was playing hard to get, but he just loved watching her do it.

"Well, you didn't really make an impression." She lied smoothly. Jackson didn't know that she had been thinking about him all day, and she wouldn't let him know. It would just boost his ego.

Jack smirked. "Don't worry, I will soon."

"And what makes you think I'll let you slip back into my bed?" she raised an eyebrow and leaned forward.

"I can be very convincing."

* * *

><p>Katy sat in her car, at the side of a busy highway. She didn't know when to go back. Should she go back home, or rent a motel room? Katy wasn't feeling the best, she was tired and nauseous; also her period was late. It wasn't unusual. It had happened before. She just thought that she had a bug. Although there were suspicions in the back of her mind that she was pregnant. <em>But I've been so careful.<em>

* * *

><p>She parked her car in the driveway and grabbed her handbag from the passenger seat. The lights were off; no one was home. Her grandmother decided to play bowls with her friends, and her dad was probably out on his date. Katy got out of the car and walked slowly to the door. It was pitch black outside, and she struggled to find the door. She played with the key, trying to get it into the key hole. When she did she stepped inside quickly and flicked on the light switch. She hated the dark.<p>

In the key bowl there was a note. She didn't see it at first, but when she did she read it.

_Katy, if you're reading this, then I guess you came home. There are no more weapons in the house. I'm sorry if I scared you, but you have to know that I want to protect you and your grandmother at all costs. You are all I have left; I never want to lose you. Please accept my apology. _ _Dad. _

She smiled a little and put the note in her pocket. She walked upstairs, gripping onto the railing, almost pulling herself up as she went up. Katy stepped into the bathroom and set her bag on the counter. She rummaged through it until she found the long, box she was looking for; a pregnancy test.

* * *

><p>As she took it, she couldn't help but think about what having a baby would do to her relationships with those around her. Would Josh leave? Would her grandmother be disappointed in her? Would Jack even support her? She needed to tell Josh. She wanted him to be here when she read the results.<p>

She dialled his number quickly. "Come on, pick up." She whispered.

"Katy, it's late. What do you want?" he sounded sleepy, like she had just waked him up.

"I'm taking a pregnancy test."

"What?" he sounded a little excited, but tried to cover it up.

"I need you to come here. I don't want to read the results alone."

"Yeah, I'll be there in ten. Can you wait that long?"

"I suppose. Just hurry."

* * *

><p>The restaurant started to become emptier and emptier, but Jack and Dawn didn't notice. They were too busy laughing and drinking. It was almost closing time, but they weren't ready to say goodbye to each other.<p>

"Do you… Want to come back to my place?" she slurred.

"I knew I'd get you back to bed." Jackson's arrogance had heightened due to the mixture of vodka and whiskey.

Dawn laughed loudly and rested her hands on his. "Who said that you were going to get into my bed?"

"I can just tell."

"I'm making no promises buddy." She stood up and grabbed her small bag. "I'll pay for the drinks, you can buy the rest."

She pulled a twenty dollar note from her purse and slammed it onto the table. She watched him take out his wallet as she stood unsteadily, one hand on the table supporting her weight. Once Jack set his money down they walked out of the restaurant, hand in hand.

* * *

><p><strong>A:N I can't believe I haven't updated this in two months. I've actually missed writing this. I can't wait until the next chapter; I think it'll be easier to write. You'll probably know what's going to happen, but unless you don't, I won't spoil it. <strong>


	8. Chapter Eight

**With A Dad Like Jack…**

**Summary: **After spending five years in jail, Jack finally gets out in hope of rekindling his broken relationship with his daughter. Meanwhile Lisa is trying to move on and fix her life, but when the two cross paths, what's to be expected?

**Disclaimer: **I own the idea for this storyline and my own characters, nothing else.

**Chapter Eight**

* * *

><p>"What does it say?" Josh watched her closely; this was the moment that he had been waiting for. Now, Katy would never be able to leave him, not like his mother did.<p>

"It is positive." She ran her fingers through her hair slowly and closed her eyes. "I'm having a child…" she whispered.

"Yes, our child." He got down in front of her and smiled up at her. "Aren't you happy?"

She looked down at his happy face. The corners of her mouth raised slightly into a crooked and uneasy smile. "I don't know, I mean I always thought that I'd be married before I was pregnant."

"Well we can get married, if you want?" he tried to persuade her. A child is what he wanted, but full time commitment would be ideal.

"I don't know. I mean I don't want you walking out on us." She glanced away from him.

"I know what it's like to not have a dad around. You know what it's like to not have your father with you the whole time. I'm not going to let that happen. Ever." He rested his hand on her leg. "I'm going to be with you, the whole time." She looked down at him. His happy expression was replaced with an almost psychotic expression. "I can guarantee that."

Katy stared at him for a moment and stood up. He fell back a bit and watched her pace.

"I don't even know if I'm going to have it. I mean, I'm too young for all this."

"You weren't young enough to lie down." He muttered angrily under his breath.

"What?" she turned to face him.

"Nothing, nothing." He shook his head slightly and rose to his feet. "Would you really kill a life?"

"Is it really a life though?" her eyebrows creased the middle of her head.

"It will be eventually. If you aborted it, you'd be just like Lisa. Remember how she killed your unborn sibling." He circled her for a moment before stopping behind her. Josh's hands rested on her womb. "You don't want to be like her do you?" he stared at her.

"No… No." she looked at him.

"Then we know what we're going to do."

* * *

><p>Lisa prepared for a cosy night in with her boyfriend of six months. Lisa met Kevin at Cynthia's birthday party last year. He was a distant relative of hers and was introduced to Lisa at the party. After a couple of awkward dates, Lisa and Kevin decided to become an official couple.<p>

Kevin stepped into the house and shook the rain water off his coat.

"Babe?" he hung it up and peered into the kitchen. "You busy?"

"I'm just making dinner." She looked at him. "I hope you're hungry. I made your favourite." She smiled and held up a dish of macaroni cheese.

"I had something before I came over. Sorry." He bit his lip. "Do you mind if I go out tonight? You can come if you want."

Lisa set her dish down and started folding a tea towel. "Where are you going?"

"Just a bar." He shrugged. "It'll just be us and a couple of pals from work."

"Well, I guess we could do with a night out."

"See, I knew you'd want to come. I'm going to take a shower and all before I go." He started backing up slowly. "You can join me if you want."

She laughed a little. "I think I'll pass. Maybe you'll have a better chance after you buy me some drinks."  
>"We'll see." He winked and walked away.<p>

* * *

><p>She listened until she heard the lock click. Lisa leaned on the counter for a moment and hit her head lightly off the top cupboard. As much as she seemed like she wanted to go, she didn't want to spend her night with a bunch of strangers.<p>

The bar was lively; there was barely any room to sit. Luckily, Kevin's friends were already there. "There they are. The two lovers." One called out. Michael, Kevin's best friend, was a very animated character. He was embarrassed by very little.

"Sorry we're late; Kev took a while in the bathroom." Lisa smiled and sat beside the only other woman at the table.

"What can I say? I like to look good." He sat beside her and rested his hand on her thigh and squeezed it tenderly. She looked at him and placed her hand on his.

"My niece told me you gave a talk at her school." the woman said, holding her glass to her lips.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to ask you about that." Kevin said.

"Well, it went well until Jackson's daughter came up to me and started yelling at me." Lisa ran her fingers through her hair awkwardly.

"What did you do?"

"Well what could I do, you know? She's a teenager. I can't really smack her or anything." She started playing with Kevin's hand. "Luckily her boyfriend came and pulled her away from me. But then I saw Jackson outside the school."

"What?" someone said.

"He's back?" Michael exclaimed.

"Yeah. And he's apparently trying to be a normal person," she rolled her eyes and shook her head, "if you can lead a normal life after what he did."

"Can you imagine Rippner with a wife and daughter?" Kevin said with a smile on his face. He found it funny that Jack could be a family man.

"Well, his wife died, so it's just the daughter now."

Lisa's statement caused an awkward silence in the group. Some may want to feel sorry for him, Lisa did in a way, but some just found this fitting. In their eyes, it's what a monster like him deserved.

* * *

><p>"I don't really want to go home just yet," Dawn stated. She turned around and looked at Jackson while walking backwards, "the night is still young. We're young. We should stay out a little longer."<p>

He chuckled and scratched his stubble. "Well some may not agree with the young part…"

"Who cares? Let's just go and get drunk."

"I think you're already there."

"Well, I'm not drunk enough then." She stopped walking and played with Jack's shirt. "We'll go to the bar, take a few shots and call it a night."

He looked around for a moment. "Why are you so persuasive?"

"Is that a yes?" she smiled up at him.

"It's a yes."

"I knew you just couldn't say no." she took his hand and led him towards a bar.

* * *

><p>"So how long has this chick been working at your office for?"<p>

"A couple of months, I have never met someone as stupid in all my life."

"What did she do?"

"She tripped and spilt coffee all over my desk."

"And all over your paperwork?"

Lisa tried to keep up with the conversation. It was hard, they talked so fast. Everyone knew what each other were talking about, except her. She was the outsider in their group. She sighed quietly, trying not to draw attention to herself and scoped the packed room. The door opened with a crash. Dawn stumbled in, laughing. She was clearly drunk. Moments later, Jackson joined her with a smile on his face. Lisa's heart dropped. The sight of him made her feel sick.

* * *

><p>"Kevin, I'm going to the ladies' room." She slid to the edge of the seat and got up.<p>

"Are you okay?" he looked up at her with concern all over his face.

"I'm fine." She tried to give him a reassuring smile and walked towards the bathroom.

* * *

><p>Inside, she leant against the cold, tile wall. "You can do this, it's not like you have to talk to him. You don't even have to stand face to face with him." She whispered, closing her eyes and gathering her scattered thoughts. Lisa looked at her pale complexion in the mirror and fixed her hair. "You're strong." Her voice sounded confident, but her appearance didn't match.<p>

She walked to the door and opened it. Straight in front of her was the man she was hoping to avoid.

"Hello Leese."

* * *

><p><strong>A:N I thought that I'd make Kevin a recurring character. Especially because I plan to use Lisa a lot more. I hope you enjoyed.<strong>


	9. Chapter Nine

**With A Dad Like Jack…**

**Summary: **After spending five years in jail, Jack finally gets out in hope of rekindling his broken relationship with his daughter. Meanwhile Lisa is trying to move on and fix her life, but when the two cross paths, what's to be expected?

**Disclaimer: **I own the idea for this storyline and my own characters, nothing else.

**Chapter Nine**

* * *

><p>Lisa stood up straight and looked at Jack, square in the eyes. "Well, fancy meeting you here. I thought they would've had a curfew for criminals." She said bitterly.<p>

"Listen Leese, cut the crap. I'm not here for a scene." He glanced at Dawn then to the table Lisa had come from, then back to her. "I'm here on a date. You're on an outing. Save the drama. I just want to go to the bathroom."

She moved out of his way and pushed her hair over her shoulder. "I'm surprised you could get a date with the reputation you have."

"Dawn understands me. She knows what I've been through."

"Sweet," Lisa faked a smile, "two psychopaths dating each other."

"Dawn's not like that. You don't even know her, but you're so quick to judge." He shook his head in disgust. "You're a nasty piece of work. Why don't you go back to your perfect little life over there, and stay the hell out of mine."

He pushed open the men's room door and slammed it behind him. Lisa watched him until she couldn't any more. What happened to her? She was never like this.

* * *

><p>Lisa sat back down with Kevin and his laughing co-workers. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, even Jackson was before she bumped into him. Maybe she needed to lighten up; she was still young and had the freedom to do what she wanted.<p>

"Baby." She pulled on his arm. He looked down at her with a half-smile and a drink in his hand.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just want you to dance with me?" she bit her lip a little and smiled, starting to stand up with her hand outstretched towards him.

"Excuse me?" he chuckled. "You don't dance."

"Well maybe I do now. Please Kev."

"You better do what your lady says." A guy joked, nudging Kevin in his side.

"I think someone put something in your drink." He took her hand after a moment and got up reluctantly.

"Nope, my drink's fine." She led him to and empty space. Lisa leaned into him and glanced over her shoulder at Jackson as he walked towards the bar again.

Kevin put his hands on her waist and watched her suspiciously. "What made you want to dance all of a sudden? At my brother's wedding you refused."

"I just thought that it would be a nice change. There's nothing wrong with that right?" she met his look at flashed him a smile.

"It's got nothing to do with that Rippner guy?"

"Of course not," she lied, "he hasn't got an impact on me anymore."

* * *

><p>Katy stared at Josh. He seemed to be fine with everything that was going on, but she wasn't. It was eating her up inside. How was she going to break the news to her nana? To Jack even! He was going be angry, but luckily he didn't have any weapons to swing around anymore. Josh was to have to deal with him, more than she would. It would take Jack a long time to forgive him, but it would take a matter of minutes for him to forgive Katy.<p>

"What are we going to do when we tell my dad? Did you think that he was going to be okay with this?"

Josh rubbed his chin and looked towards the window. "I'll prove to him that I'll look after you."

"And how do you think you'll manage that? I doubt you'll be able to see me again."

"Just tell him that you don't want our baby to end up alone and without family."

"And do you think that he will buy that?" her expression became concerned. She didn't want to lose Josh, even though he seemed to be a little crazy at the moment. He was her first love; she wasn't going to lose feelings for him so easily.

"I don't know, but we have hope." His smile showed a glimmer of confidence, but confidence wasn't really enough, and Josh could see this through Katy's body language. He slid off his chair and crawled over to her, resting his hand on her knee. "Listen, everything will be okay. I'll fight for you until the very end. I'm not going to miss any time with our little family."

Katy smiled a little and rested her hand on his cheek. "I know, but my dad's pretty dominant. If you think you can win against him, then be my guest." She glanced at her watch and stood up. "You should go, I'm sure dad won't be out all night again."

"If that's what you want." He got up slowly.

"It's for the best. I don't want you getting caught in my bed." She hugged him tightly, resting her head on his strong chest. "Do you want me to walk you to the door?"

"I think I've got it. Just you get into bed and try to relax. Everything will be alright in the morning."

She wished she would believe him, but as long as the uncertainty of having the child and the nerves of telling her family were still there, then everything wouldn't be alright. It'd be the complete opposite.

* * *

><p>Jackson walked Dawn home. She was in too much of a state to let her go alone, anything could have happened to her if he let her go. He kept her pulled tight to his side and supported her weight as she leaned into his frame.<p>

"Tonight was a fantastic night!" she exclaimed with a slur.

Jackson laughed to himself and glanced down at her. "You know, you won't remember it in the morning, the only thing you'll remember is that you drank too much and that's why your head hurts."

"I don't get hangovers. I don't drink enough to get hangovers."

"We'll just see what happens tomorrow morning." He stopped outside her apartment block and looked at the stairs. "Do you think you are able to walk up a couple flights of stairs?"

She made a noise and pushed him back a little. "Of course I can." She took a couple of unsteady steps forward before almost falling over.

Jack caught her and picked her up. "I really shouldn't have let you try, especially when you're wearing those death traps." He nodded towards her platform heels and took her up to her room.

"I can usually do it…"

"Of course you can." He took the keys from her hand and stepped into the familiar apartment.

"I really can."

"I believe you, I really do." He took her into her bedroom and laid her down, taking the shoes off her feet and setting them by her bed. He felt her pulling on his arm.

"Stay Jack." Dawn sat up and tried to kiss his neck.

"Listen Dawn, I want to, but you're incredibly drunk and I don't want to take advantage of you." He held her at arms-length. "I'm not going to ditch you; I'll sleep on the couch. Just get some sleep, okay?" he gave her a comforting smile and kissed her forehead as she began to lie down again.

He knew he was doing the right thing.

* * *

><p><strong>A:N It took me a while to want to start this chapter, but I hope it was worth it. Next chapter I think I'll make Katy tell him and then the real fun begins. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	10. Chapter Ten

**With A Dad Like Jack…**

**Summary: **After spending five years in jail, Jack finally gets out in hope of rekindling his broken relationship with his daughter. Meanwhile Lisa is trying to move on and fix her life, but when the two cross paths, what's to be expected?

**Disclaimer: **I own the idea for this storyline and my own characters, nothing else.

**Chapter Ten**

* * *

><p>Katy watched the front door, waiting for what seemed to be years, waiting for Jack to come home after another night out. Her gaze left the door and met Josh's. "Nana's coming." She said in a whisper.<p>

Josh nodded and remained silent. He hadn't agreed to tell her grandmother, Jackson was all his.

"Katy, what are you doing sitting out here? You'll catch your death in this draft." Her nana kept her dressing gown wrapped tightly around her frail body. She scooted past Josh, giving him a friendly smile.

"Nana…. I have something I need to tell you, and I don't know how you'll take it." She played with her hands nervously, striding into the kitchen slowly.

"What is it?"

"Well… I'm having a… A baby." She looked down at the floor. Katy was so afraid of what her grandmother thought, but she was terrified of her father's reaction.

"And are you sure that you're pregnant?" her nana's voice was calm and had a tone of understanding.

Katy looked up with some shock on her face, nana was taking it well. "Uh, yeah I'm sure."

She smiled a little and glanced at Josh. "It's good news, but aren't you a little young?"

Katy rubbed the back of her neck and looked at Josh. "We weren't aiming to get pregnant. We used protection." She looked away from him and shook her head a little. "I don't understand how it happened to be honest."

He watched Katy with a sly smirk on his face but then from the corner of his eye he noticed Katy's grandmother looking at him. She knew what that look meant. She may have been old, but she wasn't slow.

"I think your father's home…" Nana looked at Katy and placed her hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Don't be nervous, your dad's a little kitten when it comes to you." She winked and edged past Josh uncomfortably.

* * *

><p>Katy turned to Josh with an uneasy smile and a drop of sweat forming on her brow. "Nana took that well." She tucked her hands into her sleeves and crossed her arms.<p>

"Is your dad really a 'little kitten' when it comes to you?" he raised his eyebrow sceptically.

She nodded and watched Jackson come in through the front door. "But when it comes to you, he's more like a raging Rottweiler." She flashed a worried glance to her nana as she walked back in, Jackson behind her.

"You have something to tell me?" Jack looked confused but then he noticed Josh, standing beside Katy. He made the atmosphere almost threatening, dominated. Jackson stood up straight and crossed his arms, broadening his stance. "What's going on?"

* * *

><p>His face felt smooth, almost silk like under Lisa's fingertips. She enjoyed getting up five minutes earlier than him, just to watch him in peace. Kevin loved waking up to Lisa smiling at him, and when he did he felt more like a morning person than he did before they met.<p>

"Morning." He stretched and pulled her onto him. "What time is it?"

Lisa reached over him and grabbed the alarm clock. "Just after eleven. We slept in." she rubbed her eyes and groaned a little. "Cynthia's going to be so pissed that we're late to her wedding rehearsal."

Kevin rubbed the middle of Lisa's back and sat up. "She'll understand, I mean Cynthia's always late to work and you don't complain."

"Well that's true. But we should at least get there as soon as possible." She kissed his forehead and climbed out of bed, hopping over to her wardrobe.

* * *

><p>She skimmed over all her clothes, her eyes catching the look of a certain cashmere sweater. Lisa glanced over at Kevin and ran her finger over it, remembering the flight. It all came back to her like it was yesterday. Jack's smile. How kind he was to her. The charm, the drinks… And how it all turned out to be the worst night of her life; the worst week of her life.<p>

Lisa shook the thought out of her head and grabbed a dress and put it on her quickly. She almost ran over to her vanity table and brushed her hair with one hand while pulling her shoe on with the other.

"Are you almost ready?" Kevin called from the bathroom.

"Yeah, are you?"

"Just putting on some after shave."

She heard the glass bottle clink against the marble counter and then his heavy footsteps on the floor.

"You're going to be cold in that dress, let me get you a cardigan or something." He stepped over to the open wardrobe and looked through it as Lisa perfected her look.

"What did you pull out?" she watched him close over the doors and leant against the table.

"This cream pullover, here." He placed the cashmere sweater onto her hand and walked out of the bedroom. "I'll get the car warmed up."

She stared at the sweater and pulled it on with a sigh. "Let's give you a better memory." She said to herself as she stepped out of the apartment.

* * *

><p>Classical music played from the dining hall of the Lux Atlantic. Everyone inside sounded like buzzing bees as they talked about their days, their family members and of course, how excited they were for Cynthia. Lisa dragged Kevin through the crowd until they reached Cynthia and her husband to be.<p>

"Leese, you're here." She said with a grin, pulling her into a tight hug.

"I wouldn't miss your rehearsal. Sorry I'm late."

"No, no it's fine. I wasn't going to start without my maid of honour." Cynthia looked at Kevin and her fiancé, Bill with a smile. "They're like two kids aren't they?"

Lisa laughed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Together, they are. I don't know how we're going to put up with them."

Cynthia turned to her and clasped her own hands. "I better get this show on the road before Granddad Jim gets bored and leaves." She walked over to the two men and grabbed her fiancé, taking him onto the stage.

Lisa watched a little enviously, why couldn't she be the one that's engaged?

* * *

><p>Jackson glared at Josh, the anger and frustration was written all over his face. It was screaming at them loudly. "You got Katy pregnant!? Firstly you two shouldn't have been having sex." He looked at Katy in disappointment. "And secondly, you should've used protection."<p>

"We did use protection dad. I'm not an idiot." She frowned and tried to keep in her tears.

"Obviously not if you're…" he looked at her stomach area and clenched his jaw. "Having a baby."

He seemed to calm down a little, but the ambiance in the room was tense.

"Listen Jack, I'll take care of her. I'm not going to abandon her." He tried to get through to him, but it made things worse.

"Jack? I'm Mr Rippner to you. Also, I don't want you in my house. You're not welcome anymore, so I suggest you leave, before my fist makes contact with your face." He snarled.

Josh looked at Katy, but she couldn't look at him. "Fine." He glared at Jackson before walking out of the house, slamming the door.

"And as for you Katy, I really thought that you would've been smarter than this."

She wrapped her arms around herself and stared at the ground, chewing on her lip. "I know, you don't need to say anything." She started to run upstairs. "Nothing you can say can make me feel any worse than I already do."

Jackson listened to her bedroom door close and looked at him mom. "What am I going to do?"

"I suggest you care for her, because that Josh kid, he's mentally unstable." She warned, pointing towards the door.

"Why do you think that?"

"I have a feeling that he meant to get Katy pregnant, and that's all I'm going to say." She held up her hands and walked over to the patio door. "Just keep an eye on him, and you'll see what I mean."

* * *

><p><strong>A:N Sorry for the wait, but school is a little hectic. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!<strong>


	11. Chapter Eleven

**With A Dad Like Jack…**

**Summary: **After spending five years in jail, Jack finally gets out in hope of rekindling his broken relationship with his daughter. Meanwhile Lisa is trying to move on and fix her life, but when the two cross paths, what's to be expected?

**Disclaimer: **I own the idea for this storyline and my own characters, nothing else.

**Chapter Eleven**

* * *

><p>Jack let Katy cool off for a couple of hours. Falling out with her was like knife to the heart, he couldn't afford to let her go, especially when she's in this state.<p>

After a few beers to loosen himself up he stood outside her bedroom door and knocked gently on the door. "Katy, open up. We need to talk."

She opened the door and looked at him, the hurt still present in her eyes. "I have nothing to say to you right now."

He looked past her and noticed a couple of bags on her bed. "You've packed your bags." He sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"Yeah… I called Josh, he's coming back to pick me up." She crossed her arms and looked at the floor. "Listen dad, I love you and all… But I love Josh too and I'm going to love this kid when it comes."

Jack nodded and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I know you are, and I'll love it to. It's my grandkid. But you're so young and I don't want you to grow up with regrets."

"I'm not going to regret having a baby." She started to put her bags on her shoulders. "And I'm not going to regret having a family with Josh in our own place like you and mom did."

He heard Josh stopping outside the house. This was it, the moment his daughter could potentially be lost forever. "Why don't you just stay? I'll look after you."

She laughed a little. "Dad, I don't need you to look after me anymore. I can take care of myself." She walked up to her bedroom door and closed her eyes for a moment. "Move away from the door please."

"I don't want you to go Katy. You're going to break my heart."

"Don't make this harder than it has to be." She looked up at him and waited for him to move. When he finally did she pushed past him and stood at the top of the stairs. "Just because I'm leaving… It doesn't mean that I don't love you but I have to do this, just like you and mom did."

Jack crossed his arms and nodded. "You're like her in a lot of ways… Headstrong and caring." He followed her to the bottom of the stairs and opened the door for her. "If you ever need anything, at any time just call and I'll be there."

Katy looked at him, giving him a small smile and hugged him, resting her head on the crook of his neck. "I love you dad."

He held onto her tightly, glancing over her shoulder at the car that Josh was sitting in. He was watching them closely, a smart smirk on his face.

"I love you too… But remember what I said." He looked at her and smiled a little.

* * *

><p>Kevin watched Lisa as she whizzed around the house as she picked up tiny pieces of paper from the floor and collected empty glasses. Something was on her mind, and it was driving her crazy. Usually she'd clean at the weekends, not at one o'clock in the morning.<p>

"What's wrong?" he walked into the kitchen and took the empty glasses from her hands.

"What do you mean?" she turned and looked at him, reaching to take reclaim the dishes, but he moved them back from her grasp.

"Something's driving you crazy." He took her hand and led her to the small kitchen table. "Take a seat and tell me about it."

"Do I have to?" she whined, sitting down on the chair.

"Yeah, yeah you do have to." He sat across from her and let out a tired moan.

"See, you're tired. You should sleep." Lisa tried hard to get out of the situation, but he wasn't going to let her go so easily.

"I'll be fine; I'm off in the morning anyway. Tell me what's bothering you."

She sighed a little and pushed her hair back. "I'm jealous."

"Jealous? Of what?" he raised his eyebrow and leaned back in the chair.

"Cynthia. Everything that I've ever dreamed of is happening with her." She scratched her head and glanced at him. "She's had everything so easy."

"Listen, we're going to get married, eventually. I promise."

"Are you sure you want to marry me? Especially with everything going on?" she smiled a little.

"There's no one that I love to spend my time with." He took her hand again and smiled slightly. "We just need to find the right time."

She nodded and sighed in relief. "Yeah, we do."

"Just relax," he grinned, "you know that I love you." Kevin stood up and stretched before heading to the door. He could feel Lisa watching him and glanced at her. "Coming with me?"

She got up and followed him. "Of course."

* * *

><p>Katy stepped into Josh's apartment and watched him bring her bags out of his car. She sighed to herself quietly, hoping he didn't hear her and sat down.<p>

"Where do you want me to put your bags?"

Katy looked at him and smiled a little. "Just in your room please." She smiled a little and looked down at the floor, playing with her hands.

He went to the room and threw her bag onto the bed. "Is everything alright? You're not having second thoughts are you?"

"No of course not, I'm just sad that I left on such a bad note with my dad, you know? It's like I've only just got him back from prison and now I'm leaving him." She sighed, this time making sure that Josh heard it and rubbed her throbbing head.

"Are you feeling alright?" he raised his brow at her and sat beside her.

"Just a headache. You couldn't give me a painkiller, could you?" she looked up at him as he took her hand.

"And have you risk hurting the baby? I don't think so."

"But it's just a painkiller, it's harmless."

"Maybe for you, but we don't know these things." He got up and walked towards the kitchen.

"But I need it…" she said quietly.

"Drop it Katy!" he shouted, looking at her with menacing eyes. He had never been so dominant and controlling before. "You've been here two minutes and you're already getting on my last nerve."

Katy sat in silence, shocked by Josh's words. It was then that she began to regret her decision of leaving home and most importantly, the safety that her father brought her.

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><p><strong>A:N Sorry for the wait! I had exams to do, so hopefully this was worth the wait.<strong>


	12. Chapter Twelve

**With A Dad Like Jack…**

**Summary: **After spending five years in jail, Jack finally gets out in hope of rekindling his broken relationship with his daughter. Meanwhile Lisa is trying to move on and fix her life, but when the two cross paths, what's to be expected?

**Disclaimer: **I own the idea for this storyline and my own characters, nothing else.

**Chapter Twelve**

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><p>Jack seemed distant at dinner and Dawn could notice it. He wasn't the same guy that had made her breakfast a couple of nights ago and he certainly wasn't the caring guy that made sure she got home after a night of shots and heavy drinking.<p>

"Jack?" she watched him with concern filled eyes. He eventually acknowledged her, rolling his eyes to her direction. "What's wrong?"

"I'm fine Dawn." Even his voice was sad.

"I know you may not trust me with these sorts of things…"

"I do trust you." He met her eyes; they were wet, tears forming in the corners.

She got up and sat on his lap, bringing his head to her chest. She let him cry as she stroked his short brown hair. He found comfort in her, something that he hadn't felt since Katy's mom was alive. Jack couldn't help but wrap his arms around her, hugging her to him.

"What's got you so upset, Jack?"

"Katy's gone… And the only person I can blame is myself. I should've looked out for her but now she's gone."

Dawn looked down at him with a frown. She tilted his head up and furrowed her eyebrows. "What happened?"

"She's pregnant and I just let her walk out of here." He looked towards the door, a sigh escaping him.

"Wait… Josh got her pregnant?" Dawn got up from his lap and grabbed the phone from her pocket.

"What are you doing?" he looked at her and slowly got off his chair.

"I'm going to have a serious word with that boy." Dawn shook her head in disappointment and dialled his number. "When his mother gets wind of this, she's going to be so angry."

"And what's that going to do?" Jack watched her; he was confused and didn't understand what she was doing. Yes she was calling Josh, but why? What would the threat of his mother do to him?

"Josh is terrified of his mother. And he has any right to be. I'm going to have her set up a meet up with him in the prison. She needs to knock some sense into him." She glanced up at him, pressing the phone to her ear. "Metaphorically of course."

Jackson watched as Dawn talked to Josh, almost shouting at him. She felt the same way that he had when he first found out. Josh was bad news, especially for Katy. He just needed to find a way to get her away from him.

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><p>Going to work was always hard, especially when Lisa has to get up early, but today was going to be even harder. After her conversation with Kevin, she couldn't bear to see Cynthia and her ring, let alone hear about the dramas of a soon to be bride.<p>

She put her uniform on reluctantly and glanced over at her boyfriend as he slept. Leaving him with a small smile she took her every day route to the Lux Atlantic. Into the car, to the gas station and then to work. She didn't want this. She wanted her life to be full of variety. New people and new places. Lisa parked outside the hotel and stared up at it, biting her lip. She didn't want this for the rest of her life, and she wasn't going to do it any longer.

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><p>Lisa stepped into the lobby, her head held high. She was going to do this; she had to for her own sanity and for her own happiness. "Cynthia, is Mr. Dowers in yet?"<p>

"He's just in his office. What's going on Lisa?" Cynthia looked at her with a slight frown.

"I'm going to quit." She stepped around the front desk and made her way to his office, Cynthia following behind her.

"Please Lisa; this place wouldn't be the same without you."

Lisa turned to her friend and gave her a reassuring smile. "I've made up my mind. I'm doing the right thing for me." She knocked on her boss's door and stepped inside, watching Cynthia from the crack of the door until she couldn't see her anymore.

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><p>"Wait, wait. You quit your job?" Kevin looked at her with a small smile and disbelief. "No you did not."<p>

"I did." Lisa played with her salad, grinning at him. "I'm going to change myself."

"Not too much though."

"Of course not." She shoved some lettuce and carrot into her mouth and tried to swallow it before speaking. "I would love to be one of those people that cruise around with private eyes."

"You know those people don't get paid, right?"

"Well who needs a proper job when we have mister hotshot business man right here." She kicked him gently under the table and rested her head on her hand.

He laughed and leaned back in his chair. "Is that what you think of me?"

"Yeah, it is." She took their plates and dumped them in the sink.

"Well then, mister hotshot won't give you the name of a private eye he happens to know." He gave her a teasing smirk and stood up.

"You know someone?"

"I might." He stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "But we'll just see how you behave before I give you the name." he kissed her neck. "Won't we?"

She smiled and closed her eyes. "I suppose so."

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><p>Jackson pulled himself together and got dressed. Dawn stayed downstairs with his mom as he tried to bottle up his emotions. The last thing he wanted was to make his mother upset.<p>

He jogged down the stairs and stood at the living room door. "Dawn, come here." He nodded towards the kitchen and followed her in.

"What is it?" she leaned against the counter and looked at him, fixing his shirt.

"Have you heard anything from Josh's mom?"

"She's going to get in contact with him." Dawn placed her hands on her hips and sighed a little. "Josh wasn't too pleased with me."

Jackson sighed and rubbed his eyes. "What did he say?"

"He told me not to call him again."

"Did he sound pissed?"

"He was pretty pissed, yeah. I've never heard him talk like that before. Not even when he got into one of his moods."

"Do you think he'd hurt Katy?" Jack sounded worried and started to get himself into a state.

"The Josh that I know would never lay a finger on her."

"And what about the Josh that talked to you?"

Dawn played with the idea in her mind. "No… No he'd never."

Jackson shook his head and started to become the man from the flight, the man that he hoped his daughter would never see. "He better hope so."

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><p>Katy watched as Josh paced around the room. His hands were locked onto his hair, almost pulling the hair from their root. She started to dread what was going to happen; it wasn't every day that she saw this side of him, in fact she had never saw him worked up so much.<p>

"Josh, tell me what's going on." She listened to him breath heavily, fearing that he would start to convulse. She stepped towards him and put her hand on his back. "You can tell me what's wrong."

"You don't understand Katy." He glared down at her. "You don't understand anything do you? You're the one that got me in this mess!" he pushed her to the ground, towering above her. "Why couldn't you have kept your legs closed?"

She looked up at him in disbelief. She stood up and clenched her fists. "If that's how you feel, then I'm sure my dad would welcome me back with open arms." She turned to pack her bags again but felt him grab her arm. He started to grip harder and harder onto her arm.

"Go back to your dad?" he laughed a little. "Rippner's no father. If he was fit to be a father he would've been there your whole life, true?"

"Josh, you're starting to hurt me." She tried to pull away from him but he brought her closer.

"Go back to your dad and I'll kill you." He nodded a little psychotically. "Tell anyone about this and I won't hesitate to hurt you again. Am I understood?"

She nodded and held onto her arm as soon as he let go. Katy felt tears drip down her face as she looked at the bruise forming just above her wrist. Josh looked at her in disgust and took a seat.

"Get out of my sight." He waved her off and looked away from her.

Katy stared at him, about to respond to him. But she couldn't think of herself anymore. She had two people to think about now.

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><p><strong>A:N I've got a big idea in mind for this story, but I'm building up to it, and hopefully in five or so chapters you'll start to see more of the old Jack. Get ready!<strong>


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